


Blue Ain't Your Color

by WannaBeBold



Series: Ellick Playlist [7]
Category: NCIS
Genre: AU, Ellicksongchallenge, F/M, Minor Garvez, jerk Jake
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:02:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24855037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WannaBeBold/pseuds/WannaBeBold
Summary: After another fight with Jake, Ellie finds herself at a bar and strikes up conversation with a handsome stranger who promises to be the friend she needs.
Relationships: Ellie Bishop & Nick Torres, Ellie Bishop/Nick Torres
Series: Ellick Playlist [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1761892
Comments: 52
Kudos: 69





	1. Cliche

**Author's Note:**

> Song - Blue Ain't Your Color by Keith Urban

“I’m married.” 

“Okay… congratulations?” Sighing, Ellie turned around to shoo away the tenth guy to approach her tonight. She had never had this many guys come up to her when she was single, something about a wedding ring must attract guys just looking for a night of fun. Looking up at her newest bar mate she paused. Somehow she could tell this one was not like the rest.

“I’m sorry I just-”

“No need to be sorry.” He held up a hand, stopping her apology. “Not to sound creepy or anything but uh, I saw you sitting over here and thought you looked a little down. Thought maybe I could lend an ear?” 

_I can..._

_See you over there starin' at your drink_

_Watchin' that ice sink, all alone tonight_

Taking a deep breath, she stared at the ice melting in her drink and thought over his words. She had come here to drown her sorrows after another fight with Jake and, in all honesty, could use an impartial third party to talk to. Looking over at him again she had a feeling she could trust the man but she wasn’t opening her heart that easy.

“I don’t even know your name.”

“Nick. Nick Torres.” He held out a hand that she shook and tried to ignore the pleasant feeling of their hands clasped together.

“Ellie. Ellie Bishop.” 

“Well, pleasure to meet you Ellie Bishop.” She was silent for a moment after that before he prodded again. “So uh, now that you know who I am, care to share what you’re doing here?”

_Chances are you're sittin' here in this bar_

_'Cause he ain't gonna treat you right_

“It’s just… my husband and I had another fight.” She groaned out, rubbing her temple then looking back at Nick. “Ever since I changed jobs he’s blamed me for the problems in our marriage. We can’t talk like we used to and every time we do try to talk it always ends in another argument because he can’t talk about work and he doesn’t want to listen to me talk about work. It’s just shown me that the only thing we really had in common was our job and now I’m just- I’m tired of it Nick! It’s been almost three years and I’m so damn tired of it!” He resisted the urge to rub her back comfortingly as she looked down, running a hand over her face before looking back at him. “I honestly couldn’t tell you the last time he told me he loved me and to tell you the truth I don’t know if I even love him anymore.” She internally cringed at all she had let slip to a stranger and mentally prepared herself for a laugh. His words completely shocked her.

_Well, it's..._

_Probably not my place but I'm gonna say it anyway_

_‘Cause you look like_

_You..._

_Haven’t felt the fire, had a little fun_

_Hadn’t had a smile in a little while, baby_

“I know it’s not my place to say this, but have you ever thought about ending things with him? I mean, you said it’s been three years and uh, you, I know I don’t know you but you seem like you haven’t had really been yourself in a while.” She scoffed, knowing he was right but not wanting to admit it. 

“You’re right, you don’t know me.” Grabbing her things she started to get off the barstool when he lightly grabbed her arm, halting her movements.

_I'm not tryna..._

_Be another just pick you up kinda guy_

_Tryna drink you up, tryna take you home_

_But I just..._

_I don't understand how another man_

_Can take your sun and turn it ice cold_

“No wait wait, I’m sorry.” Pausing mid stride she faced him again. The look he was giving her was pleading and she sighed, putting her purse back down on the bar and climbing onto the stool again. Nick sighed, hoping he wouldn’t drive her away again. “Look, I promised I was just coming over here as a friendly ear, no strings attached, but I gotta say Ellie, I don’t know how your husband can just turn everything around on you I mean, it takes two to make a marriage work.” 

The words were said with such conviction that she was momentarily taken aback. This wasn’t how she ever imagined her night was going to go after storming out of the apartment but here she was, pouring her heart out and taking advice from a stranger. 

Nick took a long drink of his beer, finishing it off and waving the bartender down for another one. He needed to get this last part out even if she killed him for it.

_Well, I've..._

_Had enough to drink and it's makin' me think_

_That I just might_

_Tell you… If I were a painter I wouldn’t change ya_

_I’d just, paint you bright, baby_

“All I’m saying is, if I were married, especially to someone like you, I would try my best to make sure I never put her in your situation. I would want her to know I loved her every day of the week and would hope that she never felt the need to run to a bar and talk to a stranger because she couldn’t talk to me.” Looking up from the beer he had been talking into he was surprised to find tears in her eyes. “Ellie I’m sorry I- I must’ve had too much to drink I shouldn’t have said that-” 

“No no, it’s okay. Really.” Wiping a tear away, Ellie looked up to the man next to her and suddenly wished she had met him ten years ago instead of Jake. He may not be her normal type but if his normal behavior was anything like how he was acting tonight whatever woman he had in his life was lucky. “Oh my gosh look at me I’m such a cliché sitting in a bar complaining about my love life to a stranger.”

He put his hand on the middle of her back then, rubbing slightly as more tears fell. “Hey, if you were a cliché you’d be talking to the bartender.” That got a small laugh out of her and he found himself loving the sound. Once her tears started slowing she told him more about her marriage and how much it had changed over the years, especially since her move from the NSA to the FBI. They quickly bonded over their jobs as Nick was an NCIS agent and understood what it was like to be in the field facing danger every day. 

After almost two hours of sitting there talking to Nick her phone beeped, signaling an incoming text. Thinking it was her friend Jack checking up on her (the woman was a psychologist after all) she ignored it until it dinged again, followed by ten more in quick succession and groaned knowing now it was Jake.

“Let me guess, your husband?” 

“Yep.” She mumbled, the “p” at the end making a popping sound. “He’s asking me where I’m at and what I’m doing out this late. Like he’s never out late without letting me know where he’s at.” She started going off on another rant when Nick’s hand on her arm stopped her. 

“Ellie. As much as I’ve loved talking to you tonight I think you should go home. Talk to him. Even if it's not tonight you need to figure out what you’re gonna do.” 

“Ugh, why do you have to be right!” 

“It’s a curse I bear.” She laughed again and he smiled, standing up and holding out an arm for her to take. “Now c’mon let me walk you to your car.” Looping her arm through his, Ellie reveled in his gentlemanly touch. She couldn’t remember that last time Jake had touched her as much as Nick had tonight, let alone been such a gentleman as to help her from her stool and lead her out the door. Once they reached her car outside Ellie turned to face him, pulling him into a quick hug. 

“Thank you Nick, for tonight. For listening to me ramble and cry and for the advice… it was just what I needed.” 

“No problem Ellie. I’m just glad I could help.” Pulling a card out of his wallet, he scribbled something on the back before handing it over to Ellie. “Here ya go. My work number is on the front, cell on the back. If you ever need to talk about Jake or work or, well anything, please give me a call.” 

Taking the card from him she smiled, running her hand over his name. “I will. Thank you.” 

From her spot on the sidewalk she watched Nick walk away, waiting until he was out of sight before climbing in her car. Once she was inside she pulled out her phone, typing in Nick’s number and saving it as a new contact. Looking at her phone once more she pulled up the string of texts from Jake and groaned, rolling her head around to loosen the knots she felt forming. Going against her own thoughts to just stay the night with Jack she remembered Nick’s words and resigned herself to going home. She would have to deal with him sooner rather than later. 

On her drive her mind kept replaying her evening with Nick and she remembered some of the last words he said to her before they left the bar: blue wasn’t her color. Looking in the mirror before going into her apartment she knew he was right. Being blue wasn’t a good look on her. Now she just needed to do something about it.

_Blue looks good on the sky_

_Looks good on that neon buzzing on the wall but darlin it don't match your eyes_

_I'm telling you, you don't need that guy_

_It's so black and white_

_He's_ _stealing your thunder_

_Baby, Blue Ain't Your Color_


	2. Revelations

“There you are! Where the hell have you been I’ve been texting you for hours!” Throwing her keys down on the kitchen table Ellie stopped there, staring into the living room where Jake was standing, hands on his hips. 

“I told you I was going to the bar.” Her response was short as she slid her jacket off, hanging it up on the hook by the door and starting to walk down the hall toward the bedroom. She made it five steps before Jake’s hand was gripping her arm. 

“You were gone for five hours. No one goes to a bar and just sits there for five hours.” Squirming under his intense stare, Ellie saw the moment his eyes flashed and steeled herself for whatever was coming next. “Why do you smell like cologne? You were with another man weren’t you? Let me guess, it’s one of those behavior analysts you work with, what's his name, Duke?” Jerking her arm away, her hand went to her hip now as she stared him down. 

“It’s Luke, who’s dating Garcia by the way, and no, I wasn’t with him but even if I was you have no reason to worry because I’m not the kind of woman who steps out on her man! And for your information I  _ was _ at the bar all evening.”

“Well you obviously weren’t alone.”

“What the f- You’re right, Jake, I wasn’t alone. I ran into a  _ friend _ and had a really nice conversation with a  _ friend _ and yes, it was a guy and you smell cologne because we were sitting next to each other at the bar. Last I checked it was okay for us to have friends Jake.” With his reaction so far there was no way she was telling him this was a guy she just met and had hugged him goodnight. 

“Not if you’re sleeping with said  _ friends _ Ellie!” Jumping back as if she’d been smacked Ellie forced a neutral expression on her face. 

“I can’t talk to you right now Jake. I’m going over to Jack’s.” He started to say something else but she held up a hand to stop him. “No. And please, don’t call me.” She backed out of the door, grabbing her keys and jacket as she went. Walking to her car, she sent Jack a quick text letting her know she was on her way. Looks like she was living off of her go-bag for the night. 

* * *

It had been almost a month since that night with Nick at the bar and at least one night a week Ellie found herself on the phone with him after a fight with Jake. Sitting on her couch, phone to her ear, she thought back to three nights ago, the last time she saw her husband.

_ “Something’s changed here Ellie. Something’s different. You’re different.” _

_ “Everything’s different!”  _

_ “Ellie, how am I supposed to talk to you anymore if we can’t talk about work?” _

_ “Jake I know you can’t tell me about stuff at the NSA but I just need you to listen to me!” _

_ “Ellie-” _

_ “No, Jake! You’re my husband! I need to be able to talk to you.” Taking a deep breath she held back tears as she revealed something she had only told Nick. “I almost died last week Jake!” _

_ “What? Wh- why didn’t you tell me?” _

_ “Because I knew if I did it would just lead to another argument between us! You would just try to talk me into leaving the FBI again when I needed someone to listen and comfort me!”  _

_ “You’re right Ellie, I would’ve tried to talk you into coming back. I don’t like the thought of my wife out there chasing down serial killers! I mean, you can’t almost die if you’re sitting at a desk all day!” _

_ “But that’s not what I want Jake and I need you to understand that my job is at the FBI now with the BAU. I’m not coming back.” He stared at her for a moment and she watched as his mood shifted.  _

_ “I need some time.” He mumbled under his breath as he stormed out of their apartment, not looking back to see Ellie sink down onto the couch in tears.  _

Immediately after Jake had left that night she had called Nick. He listened intently as she told him about what happened with Jake and why. Hearing her crying over the phone he offered to come over with ice cream but she turned him down, assuring him Jake would be back later that night. When she woke up to an empty bed the next morning she became worried and the worry only grew when she learned he hadn’t shown up to work and no one could contact him. Even Penelope couldn’t trace him and she was the best at finding people. 

It had now been three days and she had shifted from worried to pissed that he hadn’t come back home. 

“He’s never been away this long before Nick. I don’t even know where he could’ve gone, especially for this long.”

_ “Who knows, maybe he just went to see family.” _

“I called his parents and his sister. They haven’t seen or heard from him either.”

_ “I’m sorry Ellie, I wish I could help somehow. You sure you don’t want me to go look for him?”  _ She smiled at his thoughtfulness. She knew he didn’t like her husband after everything she’s told him yet he was still willing to go look for him to put her mind at ease. Just as she was about to open her mouth to respond she heard a key in the door and saw it slowly open to reveal Jake. 

“Looks like that won’t be necessary. He’s back, I gotta go.” She hung up, laying her phone on the kitchen table and running up to him, pulling him in for a hug. Leaning back, she slapped him slightly on the arm. “Where the hell have you been?”

“I uh, I just needed some time alone.” Jake unwrapped his arms from around her, walking toward their bedroom. Arms crossed, she watched him go.

“That doesn’t answer my question!” She yelled as he closed the door, effectively closing her out. Sighing, she sat down at the table to wait on him when a phone dinged from in front of her. Expecting it to be Nick checking on her, she picked up the phone and frowned at the text displayed.

_ Thanks for a great weekend. I had a lot of fun. Call me soon :) - Taylor _

This was Jake's phone. And no matter how many times she read over it, it still said the same thing. She was still staring at the phone when Jake came back in the room. 

“So Ellie I was thinking, maybe we should get away for a weekend ya know, get our minds off of things. Talk.” He came around the table, going to place a kiss on the top of her head. Moving just slightly to avoid his touch, she turned to look at him. 

“Jake, I think we should talk now.”

“Okay. About what?” Sitting down next to her, he went to place a hand over hers when she held out his phone. “Ellie I can explain.”

“Oh yeah. You can explain. Explain why someone named Taylor is texting you saying she had a great weekend. Why when I was here worrying about you. Wondering where you were. You were out there with some other woman? Sleeping with some other woman?!” 

“Ellie, listen I…” 

“No Jake. No. You know I had actually hoped we would be able to work things out, get back to how we used to be but not anymore. This is the last straw.” Standing up, she slid her ring off and tossed it at him. “We’re done Jake.” Grabbing her purse, phone, and jacket, she ran out the door. 

Nick was just getting out of the shower when a knock sounded at his front door. Slipping on a pair of sweatpants he rubbed the water out of his hair and looked out the peephole. Seeing who was on the other side he yanked open the door, pulling them inside.

“Ellie, what are you doing here?” Sniffing, she wiped at her eyes with her sleeve and looked up at him for the first time. 

“Jake is cheating on me.” 

“Oh Ellie. I’m so sorry.” Throwing the towel down on a kitchen chair he pulled her into a hug, wrapping one arm around her and holding the back of her head in the other as her arms went around his torso. He felt her hot tears hit his bare shoulder and ran a hand over her hair, whispering calming words in her ear. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flashback scene inspired by 12x22, Troll, when Ellie and Jake are talking in his car.


	3. Thank You For Being a Friend

Sitting on Nick’s couch, wrapped up in a blanket and wearing a pair of his sweats she thought back to tonight’s events.

_ After Jake’s affair was brought to light she rushed out of the house, paying no attention to the pouring rain as she got in her car and sped away. No destination in mind, she drove around aimlessly for almost an hour before pulling up outside a familiar address. She had never been inside before but Nick had given her his address in case of an emergency and this definitely constituted one.  _

_ For a moment she wondered if this was such a good idea. They had only actually met once and had only talked on the phone a handful of times. Maybe she should have gone to Jack’s instead. Picking up her phone to see his last text she knew she made the right decision, even if it was an unconscious one. Jumping out of the car and getting soaked in the process she ran to the door, going straight to the third floor to find his apartment. Glancing at her phone and cringing at the time she hoped he was still awake and took a deep breath before knocking. _

_ She was still looking down when the door opened and he pulled her in. She hadn’t realized how much she had been crying until he said her name and she wiped at her eyes, finally looking up at him. Her eyes widened slightly at the sight of him shirtless and she wanted to take time to appreciate the sight until reality came crashing back down to her and she remembered why she was here in the first place. He didn’t hesitate to pull her into a hug when she told him about Jake’s affair and she wrapped her arms around him, taking comfort in his embrace. After he pulled back he pushed the wet hair out of her face and told her his shower was open if she wanted to warm up. She didn’t hesitate to take him up on the offer and he laid out a towel and sweats for her to change into after. The bathroom still smelled like him and she inhaled deeply, trying to memorize the scent. Ten minutes later dressed in his clothes she came back into the living room, towel drying her hair as he instructed her to get comfortable.  _

“Here ya go.” Breaking out of her thoughts she looked up and took the mug of hot chocolate from him and took a long drink, noting that he had put a shirt on while she was in the shower. She watched as he sat on the other end of the couch and faced her. “So, wanna talk about it?”

Toying with the string of his sweatshirt that was two sizes too big on her she stared into the mug as she started talking. 

“He finally came home tonight. When I asked where he was he completely ignored me and went into the other room. I heard a phone ding and thought it was you texting me back but I picked up his phone by mistake and…” She trailed off, taking a deep breath before continuing. “It was a text from a woman named Taylor thanking him for a great weekend.”

“Oh Ellie.” She wiped another tear from her cheek as he reached a hand out and laid it on her knee.

“The entire time I spent worrying about him, wondering where he was, he was with another woman. I don’t know how I could’ve been so stupid!”

“Hey no, no Ellie you weren’t stupid..” Sitting his cup down, he moved closer to her, putting a hand on the back of the couch in case she wanted to get closer. Noticing his change of position Ellie curled into his side without a second thought, laying her head on his shoulder. His arm came down from the back of the couch to rest on her shoulder, rubbing gently. “There was no way you could know Ellie. That shouldn’t have even been something you needed to worry about.” 

“I know. It’s just… I know we had problems in our marriage but I was willing to work on them and I thought he was too. Turns out I was wrong.” 

“You deserve so much better than that Ellie.” She turned her head up then, noticing the truth in his eyes. It took every ounce of strength she had not to lean up and kiss him then. A blush crossed her cheeks and she laid her head back down, hoping he didn’t see the color appear. They were both quiet for a minute before he spoke up. “So uh, do you know what you’re gonna do?” 

“I told him I was done. I could take the arguments and the silence but cheating is inexcusable. I’m filing for divorce.” Nick had to hold back the smile that threatened to show at the strength in which she spoke those words. 

“Well whatever you need Ellie I’m here for you.” 

“Whatever I need?” Her voice was quiet but with their proximity he heard her loud and clear. 

“Anything.” 

“Could I stay here tonight? I mean, that is if you don’t mind. I know we don’t really know each other that well and- you know what that was a stupid question, I can just go to a friends house-” She jumped off the couch, ready to run out the door when he stopped her. 

“It’s not a stupid question Ellie. You’re more than welcome to stay here if you’d like. I have a spare room. And after all of our phone calls I think we know each other pretty well by now.” 

“Has anyone ever told you how annoying it is that you’re right all the time?” She smiled as a laugh fell from his lips and found herself enjoying the sound.

“Ya know, I seem to recall someone mentioning that before.” He winked at her, a smirk appearing that quickly turned into a soft smile. “I mean it Ellie, you’re more than welcome to stay here for as long as you need.” She could only nod in thanks, in slight disbelief at his generosity. A yawn escaped her then, reminding her just how late it was. “Alright then, follow me, bedroom’s this way. You’re more than welcome to anything here. You know where the bathroom is, towels are in the hall closet if you wanna shower in the morning.I’ll throw your clothes from earlier in the dryer so you’ll at least have something to wear tomorrow without having to go back to your place.” 

Standing next to the bed she watched in silence as he grabbed extra blankets out of the closet, laying them on the foot of the bed. “And here’s these in case you get cold.”

Wrapping her arms around herself she spoke barely above a whisper. “I really don’t know how to thank you Nick.” 

Reaching out, he squeezed her shoulder, a move Ellie could already tell was meant to reassure her. “No thanks necessary Ellie.” Glancing around the room he seemed to be checking that she had everything she needed before heading to bed himself. He must’ve been satisfied that she was set for the night and went to the door, pointing over his shoulder at the opposite door. “I’m right across the hall if you need me. Goodnight El.” 

“Goodnight Nick.” As soon as he closed the door behind him she slipped out of the sweatpants he had loaned her and crawled into bed, taking one last sniff of his sweatshirt before falling asleep. 

Once in the hallway Nick took a deep breath. He really was just trying to be a friend for Ellie right now but when she came to him for comfort when she was crying and then he saw her wearing his clothes he realized he was starting to develop feelings for her. Needing to distract himself, he went into the bathroom where her clothes were laying and picked them up, taking them into the laundry room. Opening the dryer, he threw her clothes in that were wet from the rain. Feeling something land on his food he blindly bent over to pick it up when his eyes went wide. It was Ellie’s bra. And not just any bra but a very white, very lacy, very transparent bra. He knew this shouldn’t go in the dryer but that only left one other thing to do: hang it in the bathroom. With a gulp he started the dryer and went to the bathroom, hanging it on the showerhead and pulling the curtain closed so he wouldn’t see it again. He really hoped Ellie wouldn’t kill him in the morning for handling her underwear. 

Going into his bedroom, he quickly stripped down to his boxers and laid down, his mind running with everything that had happened tonight. He fell asleep hoping that Ellie had at least found comfort in his presence. 


	4. The Morning After

Stumbling to the kitchen, Nick started the coffee pot and was leaning over to look in the fridge when he heard a commotion behind him. Grabbing the first thing he could that was usable as a weapon he spun around, shocked to see Ellie standing there, mouth open. 

“Ay dios mio! Ellie what the hell?!” She still hadn’t said anything and he watched as her eyes drifted down before quickly coming back up to meet his face. Wondering what had her so shell shocked he glanced down to see he was in just his boxers. “Oh! Oh my gosh I’m sorry Ellie! I’ll just uh…” He let his sentence hang in mid air as he ran around her, going straight for his bedroom. 

Coming out of sleep slowly, Ellie reached over to look at her alarm clock only to see a bare nightstand and frowned. She was about to freak out when she heard Nick’s voice outside her door and laid back, the events of last night rushing back to her. Groaning, she laid there for a moment, giving herself a mental pep talk before rolling out of bed and slipping back into his sweatpants. The smell of coffee drew her into the kitchen and she paused midstride. Nick was leaning over, looking into the fridge, clad in just his boxers that showed off his backside perfectly. She had to hold in a moan of appreciation and, distracted, stepped right into the table. When he spun around at the sound her eyes automatically looked him over before she came to her senses and brought them back up to his face. 

It took him a moment to realize the situation but afterwards made a quick getaway, mumbling an apology as he went. As soon as his door closed she braced her hands against a chair, taking a deep breath to slow her heart rate. Sure she had seen him shirtless last night and that was a sight in and of itself but nothing compared to how he looked in just his boxers. ‘Except maybe if he was naked.’ Jerking her head at that thought she cursed herself. She was still technically a married woman and here she was thinking about another man naked. Groaning, she heard the door open and his footsteps behind her and steeled herself for the awkwardness that was sure to ensue. 

Minutes later he came back into the kitchen fully dressed, going straight for the coffee pot to pour them each a cup. “How do you like your coffee?” 

“Um, just a teaspoon of cream and a little sugar.” Pulling two containers down from the cabinet she watched as he fixed hers before handing it over. Hesitantly she took a drink, pleasantly surprised to find that it was exactly how she liked it. “It’s perfect, thank you.” Nick just nodded his head, going back to the fridge. “Bacon and eggs okay? Or would you rather have pancakes.” Still in a state of confusion at his ability to forget what just happened, Ellie shook her head. 

“Um, bacon and eggs is good. Or whatever’s easiest. I’m not picky.” 

“Bacon and eggs it is then.” Nick smiled, going to work quickly. “Your clothes from last night are in the dryer. I’ve got this if you need to shower or anything.”

“Okay. Y-yeah, I’ll go do that.” Getting one last glimpse of him standing in front of the stove she turned around, going to the laundry room and grabbing her clothes before heading into the bathroom. Pulling back the shower curtain to turn on the water, she was surprised to see her bra hanging there and then blushed, knowing Nick had to have put it there last night to dry. She had bought it as a set specially for Jake, hoping it would help heat things back up between them but that was right before he left, before his affair came to light, and instead it was Nick that was seeing it first. 

Pushing her thoughts away to deal with later she stripped and climbed under the hot spray. Thanks to not having her normal things it took half the normal time and it was only when she was drying off that she realized she would now smell like him all day. She really hoped for an easy day so she could go back and get her belongings before Jake got home. 

Light, pleasant conversation was held over breakfast and they walked out the door together to go their separate ways. Nick waited for her to drive away in her truck and frowned when he saw her still sitting there. Getting out of his Jeep he walked over to see her head on the steering wheel and lightly rapped on the window. Her head jerked up and he muttered an apology at startling her. 

“Something wrong El?”

Ellie opened the door and stepped out, cursing in one of the six languages she knew. “My truck won’t start. Looks like the battery finally went out. Just my luck right?” With one hand on her hip she ran the other one over her face in frustration. “Guess I’m gonna have to call an Uber.” She pulled out her phone to bring up the app when Nick’s hand landed on hers, effectively stopping her.

“Ellie, I can drop you off. It’s no big deal. I mean, the BAU isn’t far from the Navy Yard.” 

“Seriously Nick?”

“Yeah, of course. C’mon, don’t wanna be late.” The smile Nick threw her way as they walked to his Jeep sent a fluttering feeling through her stomach and her steps faltered. It was a short drive to the BAU and Nick dropped her off outside with a wave, promising to pick her up if they got off around the same time. 

Thanking him profusely, she promised to text him later to let him know. The parking lot was thankfully empty this morning so no one saw her get out of Nick’s Jeep and she hoped it would stay that way until she could change into the clothes in her locker but once she stepped inside she realized she wasn’t that lucky.

Getting into the elevator, Ellie sent a soft smile to Luke and Penelope. She had become quick friends with both of them after joining the BAU and was pleasantly surprised to learn they were co-workers in a relationship and making it work. As much as she hated to say it she envied them. They were clearly happy and in love and she just wanted to feel that way again. As her mind wandered off thinking about her marriage that was soon to be over, Luke and Penelope shared a look over their friends' heads. Their silent conversation indicated one of them needed to find out what was going on, especially since Ellie was in the clothes she was wearing yesterday. Once the elevator dinged, Penelope grabbed Ellie’s hand, pulling along to her domain while Luke watched them leave, concern for their newest member evident. Making Ellie sit in her chair, Penelope closed the door and stood in front of her. 

“Something’s wrong.” It was a statement, not a question, and Ellie cringed. She knew she couldn’t hide this very long but she at least thought she would have a couple hours before having to answer questions. “You look exhausted and you’re wearing the same clothes you had on yesterday. Ellie what happened last night?”

“Jake came home.” 

“Oh that’s great, that’s fantastic! Now you can-” Penelope paused as Ellie looked up at her with sad eyes. “Oh, oh that’s not a good thing is it? What happened?” Taking a deep breath she braced herself for her friend’s reaction.

“He was cheating on me. He’s been having an affair.” 

“Oh. Oh Ellie I’m so sorry.” Penelope pulled her into a hug and a tear threatened to escape at the woman’s kindness. “Are you okay? Well of course you’re not okay after that who would be… Do you need anything? You’re more than welcome to stay with Luke and I if you need to get away.” 

“That’s sweet Penelope but I’m… well okay is a strong word but I’m getting there. And I’m staying with a friend.”

“Good, that’s good. Please tell me if you need anything. I can send Luke to scare him.” That got a laugh out of her and she smiled. 

“Thanks Penelope but uh, I think I can handle him.”

“Darn right you can.”

The two talked for a few minutes before Ellie noticed the time and knew she had to get to her desk, making a quick stop to change before getting started on the day. 

It was almost six so she pulled out her phone, texting Nick that they were case free and actually able to leave on time for once. A thumbs up was his only response until her phone beeped 15 minutes later letting her know he was on his way. Gathering her things, she joined Luke and Penelope again in the elevator. They were talking about their evening plans when Ellie made the mistake of letting it slip that her truck wouldn’t start this morning.

“Need a ride home? We’d be more than welcome to drop you off. Your place isn’t that far.” Ellie panicked slightly when he said that, knowing their apartment wasn’t far from the one she shared with Jake. Apparently Penelope hadn’t filled him in. 

“Um no, actually I’m uh, staying with a friend right now. They actually dropped me off this morning and are on their way to pick me.” At that moment she saw Nick’s Jeep heading their way. “And there they are now. See you guys tomorrow!” Before he could get within their viewing distance she ran to the passenger side, making him slam on his brakes so she could get in. Looking towards where the couple was standing she waved, instructing Nick to drive away. 

Grabbing his girlfriend’s hand as they walked to their car, Luke finally asked about the talk between Ellie and Penelope this morning. 

“So uh, Ellie’s seemed off all day and is staying with a friend right now… this have anything to do with what you two talked about this morning?” Climbing in the car, she glanced outside to make sure no one was around before spilling the beans. 

“Jake’s been cheating on her.”

“What?!” 

“That’s where he was this past weekend when no one could find him so she’s staying with a friend for now but I don’t know who it is.” Her words were said in a rush and when she finally slowed down to look at him she had a tear in her eye. She hated to see her friends hurting. “I don’t know how to help Luke.” In an effort to comfort her, he placed his hand over hers on the center console and clasped them together. 

“We’ll just be there for her.” Penelope smiled, knowing that for now that was all they could do. If she hacked into Jake’s computer and erased some personal files just to annoy him well, no one had to know. 

“So uh, would you wanna go to your apartment tonight to grab some of your things? I figured you might be more comfortable if you had your own clothes and stuff.” Not wanting to face her husband but also not wanting to live in the same clothes for who knows how long she reluctantly agreed. 

“Yeah. I should probably do that huh.” He could tell she wasn’t a big fan of the idea and tapped a finger on the back of her hand to get her attention. 

“Hey. I’ll be right there with you if you want me to be.”

“That would be great, thank you. I just really hope he’s not home.” Leaning her head back on the headrest she sighed. Giving Nick directions, they made it back to her apartment in less time than she was prepared for. Luckily Jake’s car was nowhere to be seen so she grabbed Nick’s hand, leading him upstairs. 

“Alright. I’m gonna grab some of my clothes. Can you grab the books off of the bookshelf? Everything but the top shelf is mine.”

“Yeah, I can do that.” She sat a large suitcase in front of him and he started packing the books inside carefully while she drug one behind her to hold her clothes. 

He was just zipping up the suitcase when he heard a key in the door and froze. “Uh, Ellie?” She obviously didn’t hear him and he cursed, looking for someplace to potentially hide when the door opened to reveal a woman. 

“Who are you?” 

“Who are you?” He crossed his arms over his chest, staring her down like she was a suspect. 

“Honey what’s wrong?” A male voice was heard behind the woman and Nick let his arms fall to his sides, clenching his fists. “Who are you and what are you doing in my house?” 

“Alright Nick I think I got everything. Let’s go before Ja-” The suitcase she was dragging behind her ran into her heels as she stopped mid-stride. “Jake.”

“Ellie, what are you doing here. And more importantly who is he?” 

“I’m here to get my things and he,” she pointed behind her at Nick, “is none of your damn business.” Jake scoffed and she sent Nick a look. “C’mon Nick, let's get out of here.” He followed behind her silently, sending Jake a death glare as they walked by. Stopping at the door, she looked back into the living room where Jake and the woman now stood. “I’m assuming you’re Taylor. I hope you had a great weekend but trust me, it’s not gonna last.” Closing the door behind her she pushed Nick down the hallway until they were in the elevator and heard him release a breath he must’ve been holding since Jake showed up. They stayed silent until her bags were in his Jeep and it wasn’t until they were on the drive back to his place that he finally spoke. 

“So uh, that was Jake?”

“Yep. That was him.” Nick stayed quiet for another minute before speaking. 

“You wanna talk about it?”

“Nope. I just want to go back to your place, eat, and go to bed. It’s been a really long couple days.” Leaning her head back against the headrest she looked at him, silently begging him to let it go. 

“Whatever you want El.” 

“Can whatever I want include sushi?”

“Now you’re speaking my language.” Taking a left turn, he drove them to his favorite sushi restaurant to order takeout.

Sitting next to him on his couch, eating sushi and talking about their days at work, she suddenly wondered if Jake's cheating was really such a bad thing.


	5. Double Date

The Friday after getting her things out of her old apartment she went on her lunch break to file divorce papers. Since she knew Jake wasn’t going to contest it she was assured it should take two months max to be finalized. 

Getting back to Nick’s that evening she told him the news and, after checking how she felt about it, offered to take her out for ice cream to celebrate. Never one to turn down sweets, she readily agreed and they grabbed cones from a shop down the road, eating them as they drove around in his Jeep. With the windows down and roof off, she felt the wind whipping her hair around and realized she felt carefree for the first time in months. 

She was still staying at Nick’s apartment and they spent that weekend really getting to know each other. She told him all about her parents and brothers back in Oklahoma and groaned when she remembered she would have to break the news to them about Jake. He told her about his sister Lucia, the JAG lawyer and her husband and daughter. 

They were just getting ready to cook a late lunch that Saturday when a knock sounded from his front door. 

“Oh shit Ellie I forgot, last weekend I had invited my cousin and his girlfriend over to catch up. Don’t worry, I’ll get rid of them.” He started to stand when she grabbed his elbow. 

“No Nick, I’m the one who’s intruding. I can just go out while they’re here. It’ll give me time to call my parents.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course. Now go, invite them in. I’ll be out of your hair in no time.” 

Another knock sounded, this one more impatient than the last. Ellie shooed him to the door as she walked into what was currently her room to grab her jacket and slip on her shoes, double checking she had her phone before heading out. 

Waiting until her door was closed, he opened the front door, ready to greet them. 

“Hey guys, welcome. Come on in.”

“We uh, didn’t interrupt anything did we?” Luke gestured to the plates still on the table as he took Penelope’s coat, hanging it on the rack. 

“Oh no I uh, a friend is staying with me for a little bit. She was just getting ready to head out.” 

“She? Do we need to meet this  _ friend _ ?” Luke teased him, putting air quotes around the word “friend” for emphasis. 

“No you don’t. And she really is just a friend guys, I promise.”

“Alright Nick I’m heading out. Text me when they leave and I’ll bring back dinner.” Looking down at her phone, she missed the shocked looks of the other occupants in the room until she heard her name. 

“Ellie?” Stopping in her tracks she looked up to see two of her best friends standing in the kitchen next to Nick.

Luke? Penelope? What’re you guys doing here?” She walked over to the group, hugging both of them before they could respond. 

“We could ask you the same question B.” From the side Nick watched their friendly exchange with confusion. 

“Wait a second, you guys know each other?”

“Uh yeah, we all work together. How do you guys know each other?” Ellie answered for them and getting her question out. 

“Nick and I are cousins.”

“Wait a second, Nick is the friend you’re staying with?” Penelope asked, needing to know more information but starting with the basics. 

“Yeah. He offered me his spare room for as long as I need.” 

“Well, isn’t that nice of him.” Luke sent a look Nick’s way, silently promising they would talk later. Ellie saw the looks the cousins were sharing and decided now was the best time to make her escape. 

“I uh, guess I’ll go and let you guys get caught up.”

“Nonsense El. You should stay.”

“You sure?” Nick just tilted his head, sending her a soft look that told her she was ridiculous for asking him. “Okay, okay. I’ll stay.” 

Luke didn’t miss the smiles shared between them and sent Penelope a look. 

“Hey uh, you guys haven’t eaten yet have you?”

“No, we were just getting ready to make something.”

“How about we go out to eat? I know this place that has amazing drinks and an enchilada bar.”

“Oh do they have crawfish?” Nick’s expression clearly showed what he thought of that and Luke laughed. 

“Yeah B. They have your favorite.” 

“Then count me in!” 

“Nick?” Penelope asked, batting her eyelashes at him knowing he couldn’t resist.

“I guess we’re going out then.” 

Ellie looped her arm through Penelope’s, walking down the hall to the elevator as the guys followed behind. Nick could feel eyes boring into the side of his head and turned to whisper to Luke. 

“Not now man.” Holding his hands up, Luke let the subject drop, for now. 

They met at the restaurant 15 minutes later and got comfortable in a corner booth towards the back, the girls sitting on the inside while the guys slid in beside them. Nick watched in slight envy as Luke put his arm around Penelope and his hand twitched in his lap, wishing he could do the same with Ellie. 

“So guys, you never did tell us how you two met.” Penelope nudged Ellie under the table, urging her to spill. 

“I went to a bar after an argument with-” she cut herself off, not wanting to bring his name into the so-far pleasant evening. “Nick ended up sitting on the stool next to me and let me talk his ear off about my problems. We kept up phone calls and after shit hit the fan I found myself on his doorstep. That’s when he offered me his spare room.”

“Nick is a sweetheart.” Nick blushed at Penelope’s words and needed something to distract him from the conversation.

“What about a round of drinks? Luke, wanna help me?” Taking Ellie’s order, he walked away quickly, Luke hot on his heels. 

Approaching the bar he flagged down the bartender and rambled off the table’s drink order before leaning against the counter and looking towards their table. 

“Okay man, what the hell is going on with you? I’ve never seen you like this before.”

“I dunno Luke. I just, there’s just something about Ellie.”

“You do know she’s still married right?” Sighing, Nick turned around to grab his and Ellie’s drinks but didn’t make a move back to their table. 

“Of course I do. And I know it’s wrong to develop feelings for her, especially when I promised her I would just be a friend but I can’t help it.”

“You really like her don’t you?”

“Yeah, yeah I do.” Nick ran a hand over his face in frustration. “What am I supposed to do?”

“You be a friend for her. That’s all you can do right now. Let her divorce finalize and give her some time. Then if you still feel this way you’re gonna have to tell her.” 

“Okay. Okay I can do that.” They started to walk back when Nick paused, making Luke stop and face him. “Hey uh, do you know anything about Jake?” 

“Yeah. He’s not the best guy and to be honest, we’re all glad she’s finally divorcing the bastard.”

As soon as the guys left for the bar Penelope started with her questions. 

“Okay, what’s going on with you and Nick?” Ellie’s eyes went wide and she tried to look for anything else to focus on but relented, knowing this would just come up again if she didn’t answer her now. 

“Nothing’s going on. He was just there for me when I needed someone to talk to and we became friends. That’s it.” 

“But you don’t want it to be like that, do you?” Groaning, Ellie dropped her face in her hands.

“No I don’t. But I shouldn’t Penelope! I’m still technically married and here I am having feelings for another guy. Am I a bad person?”

“Oh no honey.” Scooting closer, she wrapped an arm around her friend. “You’re not a bad person at all. It’s only natural to get feelings for someone, especially a guy as great as Nick. And besides, you may still legally be married but he did a terrible, inexcusable thing and it won’t be long until you can put him behind you.”

“You’re right.” Ellie leaned up, wiping at her watery eyes and making sure her makeup still looked decent. “You’re so right. I just don’t know what to do.”

“Just get through the next two months. That’s the best thing you can do for now.” 

“Thanks Penelope.” 

“Any time. And by the way, Nick really is a great guy.” Ellie pulled back from their hug in slight shock at Penelope’s words and quickly schooled her expression as the guys came back to the table. 

“Goodnight guys, thanks for dinner!” Ellie waved to her friends as Nick opened the passenger side door and she climbed in his Jeep. 

“See you later!” Nick shouted as they drove away. 

Standing on the sidewalk, Penelope snuggled into her boyfriend’s side as they walked to their car. 

“So, does she have it as bad as he does?”

“Oh yeah. She’s freaking out though because she thinks it makes her a bad person even though I told her it was natural and she shouldn’t worry about it, especially after what that Jerk did.”

“Nick is as afraid of his feelings as she is. He knows she’s still married and I trust him when he says he won’t do anything about it right now. I told him to just be her friend for now then after her divorce, see where things go.”

“I give it less than a week after.”

“I agree with you baby.”

“Glad we’re on the same page.” Luke leaned down, pressing a kiss to her forehead. He hoped everything went well with Nick and Ellie, they deserved to be as happy as he was. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Nick and Luke as cousins headcanon was originally thought up by Hellokaelyn and I jumped on that bandwagon. Thanks for the inspiration B!


	6. Moments

With a sigh, Ellie plopped down on the couch next to Nick. 

“Everything okay over there?”

“Yeah just talking to my lawyer. Jake is actually taking responsibility for everything. Wants me to take the apartment but I told him I don’t want it. Other than that everything is on track to be finalized in a month.”

“That’s great El!” The look on her face said something was still wrong and he prodded gently. “Hey, that’s great right? You wanted to end things?”

“Oh yeah, absolutely. I mean, if he hadn’t been having an affair I would’ve tried to work things out but now… I guess I just don’t know where to go next.” 

“Hey, you know you’re welcome here for as long as you like. Or I can help you find a place, not that I want you to go just, whenever you’re ready.” Nick fumbled through his words. If he was being honest with himself he had gotten used to her being here and didn’t want her to leave

“Thank you Nick. If it’s okay with you I’d like to stay here, at least until everything is finalized.” 

“Of course that’s okay.” 

Later that evening she was sitting at the table watching Nick cook when a thought crossed her mind.

“Jake never cooked.” It was a whisper but Nick heard it and paused. Turning the burner on low, he wordlessly sat down across from her, reaching out a hand to tap hers on top of the table. Looking into his eyes she knew she could either brush off the comment or elaborate. “Jake never cooked. He always thought it was the wife’s responsibility to cook and clean while he climbed up the corporate ladder. When he got sick he always expected me to wait on him hand and foot and make him homemade chicken noodle soup. When I got sick he booked himself a hotel room so he wouldn’t catch anything from me and would send take-out to the apartment. I remember one time,” she laughed sarcastically, “I was so sick to my stomach I thought for sure I was pregnant. I was so excited at the possibility I had even bought pregnancy tests and had planned to take them but when I got home he was there, saw the boxes and demanded I go to the doctor to make sure. He was so excited when he found out I wasn’t pregnant and it was just the stomach flu. That was the only time in eight years of marriage I thought I could be pregnant. No matter how bad I wanted to be a mother he made sure we never had a scare again. At least until I transferred to the FBI, then it’s like he couldn’t have kids with me fast enough. As much as I want kids I’m glad I’m not dragging one through our divorce. ” Nick’s heart broke for the woman in front of him. He wanted so badly to pull her into a hug but he could tell there was more she needed to say so he stayed put. “He wasn’t always like that ya know, it was actually pretty great at first. We met at work, dated for almost a year before he proposed. After five months we got married here in DC. Things were normal for a couple years and then I started realizing how few things we had in common besides working at the NSA. It got worse after I left for the FBI and apparently he needed someone he could talk shop with. The woman he was cheating with? She’s also at the NSA.” He watched as she dropped her head in her hands. “I just wanna be loved, Nick. For me and not for my job. Is that too much to ask?” She was crying when she looked up and he couldn’t sit there any longer. Coming around the table, he kneeled next to her and pulled her down to him, wrapping his arms around her waist as she cried on his shoulder. 

“That’s not too much to ask Ellie. Not at all. You deserve to be loved.” Rubbing soothing circles on her back he was surprised to find that he was now crying too. “You deserve that and so much more.” 

Ellie brought her head away from his shoulder and looked up at him through hooded lashes. Pushing back the hair from her face he swiped a thumb below her eye to wipe away a tear, his hands lingering as he cupped her cheeks. 

“Nick?” Her voice was a whisper, almost begging him to lean in and close the gap between them. Lost in the moment, he slowly bent down and touched his lips to hers in a soft caress. 

The sound of the oven timer going off made them jump apart. Ellie scrambled off of his lap and back into her chair, a blush tinging her cheeks while Nick ran to the stove, glad to have his back to her as he tried to control his breathing. The kiss may have only lasted for a second but it was the best one he’d ever had and he found himself wanting to feel her lips on his more often. Kicking himself because he knew he shouldn’t be thinking about these things right now, he vowed to focus on helping Ellie through the next month and then see where things went. 

* * *

It had been almost a week since their little “incident” in the kitchen and they still hadn’t talked about it. At least, not to each other. The following day at work Ellie had promptly freaked out to Penelope and Nick had called Luke, worried he had ruined things indefinitely. After much reassurance from his cousin he finally calmed down, promising to talk to Ellie that evening. Unfortunately she had to go away on a case and by the time she was back the next day she seemed to have forgotten all about it. 

Now here they were, on a Friday night sitting on the couch watching  _ Friends  _ and eating Chinese takeout he had picked up on his way home from work. She couldn’t help the glances she kept sending Nick’s way and hoped he hadn’t noticed, especially when her gaze lingered longer than normal when Monica said she was lucky enough to fall in love with her best friend. That line hit harder than normal this time as she realized that, although they hadn’t known each other long, he was definitely her best friend and she may be falling in love with him. 

From his side of the couch, Nick tried not to look over at the woman who had quickly wormed her way into his heart. No matter how many times he reminded himself she was still technically married and therefore off limits, he still found himself wanting to ask her out or kiss her again just to see if it was as amazing as he remembered. When Chandler knelt down in front of Monica his eyes moved to her, watching as a tear rolled down her cheek when the newly engaged couple kissed. 

Nick’s mind wandered then to a future where that was him kneeling in front of Ellie with a ring, asking her to marry him. He vowed then and there that after her divorce he would talk to her and confess that he had feelings for her. 


	7. O.W.T.

The sunlight streaming through the partially open blinds woke her from a peaceful slumber and she smiled, stretching lazily. She smiled at the sight across from her. If someone told her three and a half years ago she would be in this position she would’ve laughed in their face but here she was and she wouldn’t trade it for the world.

_ Walking into the BAU she felt lighter than ever. For the first time in eight years she was a single woman and she couldn’t be happier. The smile was still plastered on her face when she ran into Penelope. _

_ “Oh what’s with the happy face?” Grabbing her arm, Ellie led her to an empty hallway and pulled the paper out of her jacket. _

_ “I’m officially divorced! It was finalized this morning!”  _

_ “Oh, oh that’s so great!” Penelope pulled her into a tight hug, almost bouncing with excitement. “I’m so happy for you!”  _

_ “Thank you. I’m just relieved it’s finally over.” _

_ “And?” Ellie looked at the woman across from her, getting nervous at her look.  _

_ “And what?” Penelope grabbed her arm, dragging her into her lair and locking the door.  _

_ “What are you gonna do about Nick?” _

_ “Wha- Nick? What’re you talking about?” _

_ “Oh c’mon Ellie. You told me at the bar that you were having feelings for him. Now you’re a single woman. This is your chance!” _

_ “I don’t know Penelope. I mean, sure I have feelings for him and we kissed a month ago but we never talked about it and I don’t even know if he has feelings for me too.”  _

_ “Wait a second, you guys still haven’t talked about the kiss?” _

_ “No… I wanted to talk to him the next day but then we were on that case and… well there was so much to focus on with work and the divorce getting closer I kinda pushed it to the back burner.” Taking a deep breath, Penelope hoped Luke wouldn’t be mad at her for what she was about to do. _

_ “Ellie. That man has feelings for you too.” _

_ “What? How do you know?!” _

_ “Luke told me. Apparently Nick talked to him that night at the bar too. He admitted to having feelings for you and freaked out after you guys kissed thinking he messed things up.” _

_ “H-he actually has feelings for me?” Penelope just nodded enthusiastically. “Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh what do I do?”  _

_ “You tell him how you feel of course!” _

_ “Okay. I can do this. I can talk to Nick. I’m gonna tell Nick how I feel!” Ellie’s smile became even brighter than this morning and Penelope jumped up and down.  _

_ “I’m so happy for you guys! And just a little hint, if Nick’s half as good as Luke is you’re gonna be one lucky lady.”  _

_ “Penelope!” Ellie blushed at the other woman’s insinuation. _

_ “What? I’m a woman who is thoroughly satisfied by her man. Besides they’re cousins, they’re likely to have some things in common.” Penelope winked at her, causing her blush to intensify. After a moment of thought she smirked, hoping Penelope was right.  _

_ After her talk with Penelope it took everything in her to get through the rest of the day and get home to Nick. That night he took her out to eat to celebrate and as they were walking down the street with their ice cream cones afterward he paused and grabbed her free hand in his. _

_ “Ellie. I don’t know if this is the right time to say this or not but… Oh gosh I imagined this going a lot better in my head.” _

_ “Nick. It’s okay.” She squeezed his hand, urging him to continue as she held her breath. _

_ “I have feelings for you Ellie. I know you just got out of a relationship and you probably wouldn’t wanna jump into anything else so soon but-” _

_ She didn’t let him talk after that and instead pulled him into a kiss that quickly turned heated, their ice cream long forgotten as the cones fell to the ground. A sound of a horn broke them apart and she sent him a shy smile as he brought his forehead down to hers.  _

_ “Nick. I have feelings for you too.” He smiled at her, pressing a soft kiss to her lips and pulled away, tugging her lightly toward his Jeep. _

_ Hours later when they were cuddling in his bed, sweat cooling on their skin from their prior activities despite the chill in the air, Ellie’s mind went briefly to her conversation with Penelope. Despite her words, Ellie never imagined she could be this  _ lucky _. Like her friend, she was very thoroughly satisfied by her man.  _

* * *

_ It had been a year and a half since her divorce and the same amount of time since she and Nick had been dating. As cheesy as she found it, Nick loved to celebrate their half year anniversary too, stating that every day with her was a gift and he wanted to celebrate being with her as much as possible.  _

_ They were going out tonight to a new Mexican restaurant that opened up down the street and she smiled at her reflection in the mirror. It was mid-June so she had on a light, purple dress that was one of Nick’s favorites. He had been acting odd the last couple of days, only saying it had to do with their case at work, and she hoped that whatever was on his mind could be pushed to the side for tonight.  _

_ As soon as they were at the restaurant Nick’s mood seemed to shift. They were smiling and having pleasant conversation and she was glad that whatever had been plaguing him seemed to disappear. When they were done, Nick grabbed her hand and they walked down the road, getting ice cream at the same shop they visited on their first date. Ellie couldn’t help but smile when he grabbed her hand, pulling her against him as he kissed her. This time she was prepared for it and was able to hold onto her ice cream, laughing into the kiss when she heard his cone fall to the ground with a plop. A laugh escaped her when he pulled back and her heart started racing when he started to lean down. She was slightly disappointed when instead of getting down on one knee he stole a bite of her ice cream, smiling up at her with a satisfied grin.  _

_ “Hey El, what do you say we go for a little drive?” _

_ “Oh uh, okay sure. Yeah, let’s go for a drive.” With a hand resting on the small of her back, he led her to his Jeep and helped her inside. They drove for fifteen minutes before pulling up outside of a building that looked to be closed. Parking, Nick got out and ran around the side to open the door for Ellie. “Um Nick, what’re we doing here?” _

_ “Do you trust me?” _

_ “With my life.” Her reply was instant and his heart warmed at her confidence in the words.  _

_ “Then follow me.” Taking his hand, she let him lead her into the building that looked like it hadn’t been operational in over a year. Putting a scarf over her eyes he made sure she couldn’t see anything and opened the doors, smiling at the transformation. Leading her to the counter, he helped her onto the stool and stepped back. “Okay, you can take off the blindfold now.” _

_ Listening to her boyfriend, she brought her hands up and tugged on the tie, effectively loosening it and letting it drop to the floor. Her hands immediately came up to cover her mouth as she took in the candles all around the room but what really took her breath away was the man down on one knee in front of her.  _

_ “Oh my gosh.” She felt a tear escape as he grabbed her hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it.  _

_ “Ellie. Almost two years ago I met you right here. You were sitting on that stool and I couldn’t help but walk up and talk to you. That night you just needed a friend and I was prepared to be that for you but then the more I talked to you, the more I got to know you the more I found myself falling in love with you. I never thought I would be lucky enough to fall in love with my best friend Ellie but I did and the only thing that makes it better is knowing you love me too. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Build a family together. Cook whatever weird craving you’re having whether it be a random thing or because you’re carrying our child.” Ellie was full on crying now and the tears started coming faster when she saw that Nick was shedding tears too. “No matter what life throws at us I want to be by your side. For anything and everything. You deserve the world and I hope I can give that to you. Eleanor Raye Bishop.” Pausing, Nick grabbed the box out of his pants pocket and opened it up to reveal a ring identical to her grandmothers. “Will you marry me?” _

_ “Oh Nick yes. Absolutely. I will marry you!” Sliding the ring on her finger, Nick barely gave her a moment to admire it before he was level with her, sliding her off the stool and pulling her into a deep kiss.  _

_ “I love you so much Ellie.” _

_ “I love you too Nick.”  _

* * *

_ Walking in the door, Nick groaned at the retching sound that was still coming from the bathroom. The stomach flu had been going around the BAU the past month and Ellie had unfortunately caught it. Most of her teammates had gotten over it within a couple days but his new wife was now going just over a week of throwing up and there was no sign of it stopping.  _

_ Despite her assurances that he didn’t have to, he waited on her hand and foot, his explanation being that she was his wife, he loved her, and he wanted to take care of her. She couldn’t help but get teary eyed at his words and leaned her head against his shoulder as he rubbed her back in comfort. By day two they had run out of ginger ale so he made a quick trip to the corner store and stocked up on a week's worth of the items, including the ingredients to her mom’s chicken soup recipe he had called on the way to get. Once it hit day eight and Ellie was still throwing up he became more concerned and used his trip to the store to stock back up to call her mom again. When Barbara mentioned how much she hated throwing up because it happened so much during her four pregnancies it hit him.  _

_ Unloading the bags in the kitchen, he walked into the bathroom to see Ellie hunched over the toilet again.  _

_ “Hey babe. Feeling any better?” A shake of her head was the only response so he sat next to her on the floor, rubbing her back and running a wet washcloth over her neck and face. “I bought some more ginger ale. And I uh, I got you something.” _

_ “Oh a present?” He let out a chuckle at her childlike enthusiasm and placed a kiss to her temple before bringing out a box from the bag. Ellie took it from his hands gently, looking back and forth between him and the box. “Nick?”  _

_ “I was talking to your mom on the way over there and she mentioned how sick she got when she was pregnant and I thought, well it wouldn’t hurt.” _

_ “N-Nick. These are pregnancy tests…”  _

_ “Uh yeah.” _

_ “But Nick, we've only been married a month. I can’t be pregnant! No it’s, it’s too soon. I’m sure it’s just the stomach flu I mean-”  _

_ “Ellie, Ellie slow down. First of all, you’ve been sick for over a week, there’s no way this can still be the stomach flu. Besides, it wouldn’t matter to me if we were married for a month or ten years, I want to have a baby with you.” He emphasised his point by pressing a slow kiss to her temple.  _

_ “I want to have a baby with you too Nick.” _

_ “So, you’ll take them?”  _

_ “Yeah…” Smiling, Nick helped her up and placed the other boxes on the counter. Stepping outside the door to give her privacy, he waited with bated breath until she stepped into the hallway and stood next to him.  _

_ “So?”  _

_ “Five minutes. I already set a timer.” _

_ “Now we wait.” _

_ “Yep.”  _

_ They were quiet for a moment until Nick turned to her, pulling her into his arms and rubbing his hands up and down her back.  _

_ “Im nervous Nick.” Her voice came out watery and Nick leaned back, bringing a thumb up to wipe the tears from her face. “I mean, we never even talked about having kids and now-” _

_ “Shh, babe everything’s gonna be okay. I love you.”  _

_ “I love you too.” Leaning up she pressed a light kiss on his lips before he pulled her down to sit with him against the wall. She laid her head on his shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her, both watching the timer on her phone tick down.  _

_ “Ya know, I never really thought a wife and kids would be in my future. Until I started getting to know you. Eight years of undercover work don’t exactly make for the best life for a family.” He let out a light laugh at that before continuing. “Ellie when we started dating I knew I wanted the whole thing with you, kids included. After a while I started picturing what our kids would look like and everytime I pictured a little boy with my complection and your, well, everything else. We would teach him how to walk and talk and ride a bike and play soccer. He would probably have your weird eating habits.” Ellie laughed at his comment about her eating and how their future child would probably inherit her habit. “But no matter what El our child would be perfect because he’s part of you and you’re the best person I know.”  _

_ “How do you know just what to say?” She was still crying but her voice was lighter now and he smiled.  _

_ “It’s a curse I bear.” His words took her back to the first night they met in that bar and she smiled, pulling him in for a kiss. Just then the timer beeped on her phone and she let out a shaky breath. “You ready?” _

_ “As I’ll ever be.”  _

_ Helping her up, he clasped her hand in his and walked into the bathroom. Together, they counted to three before looking down at the line of tests on the sink.  _

_ “Is that?” _

_ “Uh-huh.” Ellie stared in shock at the displays. Suddenly she was being picked up and gently spun around, Nick bringing his lips to hers for a searing kiss.  _

_ “We’re having a baby?” Nick's eyes were watery as he looked into hers and a smile crossed her face as she nodded enthusiastically.  _

_ “We’re having a baby.” _

_ “This is like, the best news ever.” Ellie laughed at him as he brought one arm away from her waist to pull out his phone, taking a picture of the positive tests.  _

_ Later that evening after calling to tell her family the news she laid on the bed, watching Nick talk animatedly to Lucia in Spanish about their baby. Placing a hand on her still flat stomach she started rubbing the spot where their baby was resting and started speaking quietly.  _

_ “That’s your daddy little one. He’s such a great man and we’re so lucky to have him in our lives. You know, two years ago I never thought I could ever be loved this much but he proves me wrong every day.” For what seemed like the one hundredth time today she started crying but this time she let the tears fall. “I could not ask for a better husband or a better father for you. We already love you so much.” She heard Nick say goodbye to Lucia and looked up from her stomach, watching as he set his phone down and walked over to the bed. Instead of laying down on his side like normal he laid across the bed, resting his head on her stomach.  _

_ “I can’t believe there’s actually a baby in there.” Lifting up her shirt he placed a kiss on her bare stomach, his scruff tickling her skin and making her laugh. “I love you so much little one and I can’t wait to meet you.” Reaching her hand down she caressed his cheek, pulling him up to meet her lips.  _

_ “We love you too.” Nick kissed her again and they quickly got lost in each other. That night was a soft celebration of their growing family and the only thing that made it better was their gentle whispers of “goodnight, sweet dreams, I love you,” to each other and their unborn child.  _

* * *

Blinking the tears away, Ellie watched as Nick sang quietly to their newborn son. Oliver William Torres was born yesterday, eight pounds, seven ounces, and perfect in every way. Her heart swelled with love at the sight of the two people she loved most in the world and thought about the events that led them here. As much as it killed her at the time, the problems in her first marriage led her to the best thing that ever happened to her. Nick was everything Jake wasn’t and she couldn’t be happier with how her life was now.

“Everything okay over there El?” 

“Everything’s perfect.” They shared a look until Oliver started getting fussy. “Looks like someone’s getting hungry.” Nick chuckled as he carried their son over to Ellie and she got situated to feed him. Once he was fed and burped Nick sat down next to them on the bed, one arm around Ellie’s shoulders and the other coming to caress Oliver’s head. “Hey Nick. Do you know what today is?”

“Besides Oliver’s birthday? No.” 

“It was one year ago today you proposed.” 

“Oh yeah. Looks like today’s a pretty special day little man.” 

“A special day indeed.” It was quiet for a moment as they stared at their son before Ellie spoke again. “I’m happy Nick.” Placing a soft kiss to her lips, he rested his forehead against hers. 

“Me too Ellie. Me too.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all I just have to send out a HUGE thank you to onlyhereforellick who was a major contributor to this final chapter, as well as brainstorming and proof reading for me. Also thank you to dlodle0 for all your help!  
> If you're interested, here's the timeline of the fic:  
> November 2017: Separation  
> January 2018: Divorce Finalized   
> June 2019: Ellick Proposal  
> September 2019: Ellick Marriage   
> June 2020: Ellick Baby


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